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This was a profoundly eye-opening read, giving me a new lens through which to view the current state of division and discord in the United States.
Let me start by saying that Joe Moore provided an invaluable service in the fight against white supremacist hate groups and their ideology—often at great personal risk and with little financial gain. His account of infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan as a civilian FBI informant is harrowing, deeply unsettling, and, at times, utterly depressing. I say "depressing" because it becomes painfully clear that this so-called "Invisible Empire" has been waging a relentless war against the Founders' ideals of democracy and liberty since the end of the American Civil War.
Joe’s story begins during Barack Obama’s initial run for president and carries through to the 2024 election. Reading yet another book in a post-2024 landscape only reinforces my belief that this Invisible Empire has embedded itself at every level of American government—small towns, city councils, state legislatures, federal agencies, and even the highest seat of power. Joe’s final assessment is crystal clear: we should be deeply concerned because this ideology is not only alive but spreading.
As for the writing itself, the book flows well and never felt sluggish. It does an excellent job of providing deeply personal context for Joe’s motivations and the immense sacrifices he made in undertaking such a dangerous mission. It also succeeds in offering crucial historical background on the Ku Klux Klan, which is essential to understanding why these types of undercover infiltrations are so critical. The level of detail in recounting Joe’s dual infiltrations—along with the resulting murder plots, family conflicts, personal sacrifices, arrests, trials, and verdicts—is both thorough and deeply unsettling.
Joe’s final thoughts are foreboding, grim, and, perhaps most distressingly, largely ignored. His warnings about the ever-present and growing threat of white supremacist extremism have gone unheard by a public that appears increasingly comfortable flirting with fascism—a movement that stands firmly on white supremacist ideals, reinforced by violence and, at times, even presidential pardons.
Should you read this book? If you want to take a hard look at what’s festering beneath the surface of our increasingly fragile democracy—then yes, absolutely.
Let me start by saying that Joe Moore provided an invaluable service in the fight against white supremacist hate groups and their ideology—often at great personal risk and with little financial gain. His account of infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan as a civilian FBI informant is harrowing, deeply unsettling, and, at times, utterly depressing. I say "depressing" because it becomes painfully clear that this so-called "Invisible Empire" has been waging a relentless war against the Founders' ideals of democracy and liberty since the end of the American Civil War.
Joe’s story begins during Barack Obama’s initial run for president and carries through to the 2024 election. Reading yet another book in a post-2024 landscape only reinforces my belief that this Invisible Empire has embedded itself at every level of American government—small towns, city councils, state legislatures, federal agencies, and even the highest seat of power. Joe’s final assessment is crystal clear: we should be deeply concerned because this ideology is not only alive but spreading.
As for the writing itself, the book flows well and never felt sluggish. It does an excellent job of providing deeply personal context for Joe’s motivations and the immense sacrifices he made in undertaking such a dangerous mission. It also succeeds in offering crucial historical background on the Ku Klux Klan, which is essential to understanding why these types of undercover infiltrations are so critical. The level of detail in recounting Joe’s dual infiltrations—along with the resulting murder plots, family conflicts, personal sacrifices, arrests, trials, and verdicts—is both thorough and deeply unsettling.
Joe’s final thoughts are foreboding, grim, and, perhaps most distressingly, largely ignored. His warnings about the ever-present and growing threat of white supremacist extremism have gone unheard by a public that appears increasingly comfortable flirting with fascism—a movement that stands firmly on white supremacist ideals, reinforced by violence and, at times, even presidential pardons.
Should you read this book? If you want to take a hard look at what’s festering beneath the surface of our increasingly fragile democracy—then yes, absolutely.